This invention relates to golf putting practice devices and, more particularly, to golf putting practice devices of the type embodying a mechanism for kicking a ball back to the person making a putt thereinto.
Golf putting practice devices employing various ball return mechanisms mounted therein have been heretofore known in the art. One improvement over the prior art embodies a spring powered flipper device to return the ball, as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,720. In operation, a motorized mechanism retracts a flipper device against the tension force of an elongated spring member and then releases it to rotate freely forwardly through the contracting force of the spring and, thereby, contact the ball forcefully and send it back to the person. The flipper is again retracted, through the power of the motorized mechanism, into the operational position for returning the next putt.
Although the embodiment of the aforementioned patent results in a putt return device significantly smaller than that of prior art, the profile of the housing and the attached ball tray provide a limited target for putting practice. Also, the amount of torque generated by the motorized mechanism to retract the flipper is sufficient to cause injury if the user's finger is accidentally placed between the flipper and the housing during retraction. It is a primary object of the present invention to afford novel improvements over the golf putting practice devices heretofore known in the art.
One of the primary objects of the present invention is to afford a novel putting practice device that incorporates a two-part flipper device resiliently connected between a flipper section and supporting base section by a resilient means in a manner that allows the flipper portion to stop if obstructed by an object while retracting, thus preventing injury to the user or damage to the device.
A further object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device with a lower profile and larger ball receiving tray to provide an improved, more realistic putting target.
Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device, which embodies a flipper device of a substantially reduced size and a coaxially mounted torsion spring, constituted and arranged in a novel manner inside the device for returning a ball putted therein.
Yet another object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device with a flipper apparatus that consistently returns a ball in a path perpendicular to the front of the device in a more efficient manner.
Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device that can use either DC or AC power for operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device with a means for monitoring battery power to the device and for indicating when battery replacement is necessary.
Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device with a means to automatically shutoff power to the device after a set period of time of inactivity to conserve battery power.
A further object of the present invention is to afford a novel golf putting practice device which is practical and efficient in construction and operation, and which may be more readily and economically produced commercially.
Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is to be considered the best mode in which to apply these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.